Sharna Burgess is giving a perfect 10 to Emma Slater and Andy Richter’s Dancing With the Stars partnership.
“Emma has this magical ability to completely put ego aside,” Burgess, 40, shared on the Monday, October 6, episode of “The Penthouse with Peta” podcast. “It’s not about her. It’s not about her choreography being spectacular. It’s not about how well she dances. It’s not about her at all. She literally does everything she possibly can to make sure they have the best experience ever.”
Based on the first few weeks of competition alone, Burgess praised Slater, 36, for not focusing on being the best dancer. Instead, she appears determined to provide “the best experience of this once-in-a-lifetime moment.”
“Do you know how many pros on the show could do that?” Burgess asked host Peta Murgatroyd. “I’m not going to name them but very few.”
Murgatroyd, 39, also sang her praises for Slater as she prepares for week five of the competition. On Tuesday, October 14, the remaining contestants will participate in the always emotional dedication night.
“I’m secretly obsessed that [Andy] hasn’t been eliminated yet. I love it, I want him to stay,” Murgatroyd said while recording from the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel. “Other people can go. I’m cool with it. I want to see more of Andy and Emma because I love their partnership. She’s very good with this. She is the nurturer. She is the one that will harness the good in people and bring it out of them every single time. She will nurture her celebrities and make sure they have everything they need.”
While Burgess agreed with her close friend’s assessment, she joked that it could be a “gift and a curse.”
“Emma is the go-to because she is going to make them feel amazing,” she added. “At the end of the day, that’s what it’s supposed to be about.”
After participating in Disney Week on Tuesday, October 7, Slater spoke exclusively to Us Weekly about her partner.
While she acknowledged some viewers may be surprised to see the 58-year-old comedian still in the competition, Slater explained why he deserves a spot in the ballroom.
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“Obviously, you get people that comment, ‘You know, this is a dance competition,’ but it is actually so much more than that,” Slater explained to Us. “It is an entertainment show, and it is for people that have not done this before, and so it’s beautiful to watch them get a moment in the spotlight and to grow and to see improvement. He, every bit, deserves his place here.”
That positive attitude leaves it impossible for Burgess and Murgatroyd not to root for their longtime friend.
“Step into that room, see that you do not have a partner that’s going to win the show or be anywhere near it, and it will be a challenge,” Murgatroyd explained. “But she loves it and she makes the most of it, and I will always give her props for that.”
Dancing With the Stars airs on ABC and Disney+ Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET.